Novels About Autism

[Guttersnipe]

I've read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, but the author reports that the main character is just different, without any autism in mind. Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine was pretty good. Are there any recommendations for other novels featuring an autistic character, especially an adult?

Btw, I'm on the spectrum myself.

 

[Danny McG]

Btw, I'm on the spectrum myself

Not relevant to your question, but whenever I hear it said that somebody is 'on the spectrum' my mind instantly flips to Captain Scarlet

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Hey, Guttersnipe. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon may be the type of novel you're looking for. It's reminiscent of Flowers for Algernon, but with adult, autistic leads. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found it quite moving, CC

 

[biodroid]

There is a James Patterson book about a boy having Asperger's. It's one of the co-written books, my wife read it because our nephew has Asperger's and she wanted to understand a little bit about it.

 

[Elckerlyc]

In a totally different genre: The Rosie Project. The Rosie Project

 

[Cat's Cradle]

ps - poorly worded above - I recognize that Charlie in F.f.A. is an adult.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

They’re fairly few and far between - I did a bit of a search when starting to write my WIP as one of the central character has an (undefined) ASD. However sometimes there are characters who display traits and I wonder if they are a Olive Kitteridge is a good eg.

 

[hitmouse]

Try the To Hell and Back trilogy by Matthew Hughes, starting with The Damned Busters. This is a romping fun humorous modern take on the Faust theme, and a very alternative superhero story The principle character is on the spectrum.
Recommended.

 

[tegeus-Cromis]

Herman Melville's 1853 novella, "Bartleby the Scrivener" is widely considered to be an early description of autism, before the condition was ever identified. Just do a search on the title and "autism" and you'll find many sources on this. Also, it's an amazing story. I highly recommend it.

 

[Randy M.]

Herman Melville's 1853 novella, "Bartleby the Scrivener" is widely considered to be an early description of autism, before the condition was ever identified. Just do a search on the title and "autism" and you'll find many sources on this. Also, it's an amazing story. I highly recommend it.

I prefer not to.


Seriously, one of the great novellas.

Randy M.

 

[Stenevor]

Children of God the sequel to The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell has an autistic character. I can't honestly remember how much of a part he had in the story but I can remember thinking they were very good books. Still got them on the shelf.

 

[tachyon]

The Outside by Ada Hoffman
All Systems Red by Martha Wells (and the rest of the Murderbot series)

The protagonist in The Outside is explicitly autistic.
The android protagonist in All Systems Red is not explicitly autistic as far as I recall, but is basically autistic.

 

[Danny McG]

There's Simple Simon by Ryne Douglas Pearson about an autistic boy who cracks a code.
This was later made as the film Mercury Rising starring Bruce Willis

Simple Simon (Art Jefferson, #4)

It took years to develop. Cost billions to perfect. A National Security Agency cryptographic system so advanced it safeguards the United ...

www.goodreads.com

 

[biodroid]

I think there is also a James Follett novel about an autistic girl that develops fancy military tech for a government

 

[Toby Frost]

Martian Time Slip by Philip K Dick involves an autistic boy, but it's a very strange novel and I wouldn't expect it to provide great insights into the condition.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Thanks everybody! I especially didn't know about speculative fiction involving autism. And I think The Rosie Project is going to be adapted into film.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I've not read the book , but the movie Rain Man was a great watch.

 

[Danny McG]

There's Simple Simon by Ryne Douglas Pearson about an autistic boy who cracks a code.
This was later made as the film Mercury Rising starring Bruce Willis

Simple Simon (Art Jefferson, #4)

It took years to develop. Cost billions to perfect. A National Security Agency cryptographic system so advanced it safeguards the United ...

www.goodreads.com

There's a recent sequel to this book.
Simon Sees

 

[Boaz]

I don't know anything about novels about autism. But I do wonder about the character Friendly in Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie.

Friendly finds it impossible to relate to other people regarding their wants and needs. They don't really seem to relate to his interests. He finds solace in counting. He counts everything. He like it when the numbers come out the same every day. (The same number of bricks on the steps. The same number of buttons on his shirt. The same number of guards at the prison.) Friendly serves time in prison and actually feels connected to the guards... because they count out loud. And furthermore, they count him. He likes to be counted. Their vocal counting reassures him.

In prison, Friendly becomes attached to a loan shark. In his eyes, the loan shark tries to make the numbers come out correct while the borrowers have problems making the numbers correct. Since Friendly likes to make the numbers always come out correct, he becomes the loan sharks' collector. And it just so happens that Friendly is good with his fists... and a knife.

Friendly's thought processes are interesting. Walking, resting, eating, working, fighting... he's always counting... and making connections through numbers. This is very handy since he's on a mission to kill six men. Five left. Four... three... two... one...